Affirmative commands with tú

The imperative is the verb form for telling someone to do something: Speak! Eat! Come here! This lesson covers affirmative commands (telling someone to do something) to one person you call tú.

The regular form: just like "he/she" in the present

The tú command is the same as the él / ella form of the present tense (Present tense of -ar verbs (hablar), Present tense of -er and -ir verbs (comer, vivir)):

• Habla más despacio, por favor.Speak more slowly, please.
• Come algo antes de salir.Eat something before you go out.
• Escribe tu nombre aquí.Write your name here.

Stem-changing verbs keep their change (Stem-changing verbs e → ie (querer, empezar), Stem-changing verbs o → ue, u → ue (poder, jugar), Stem-changing verbs e → i (pedir, repetir)):

• Cierra la ventana, que hace frío.Close the window, it's cold.
• Pide la cuenta, por favor.Ask for the bill, please.

Cerrar → cierra, dormir → duerme, pedir → pide, jugar → juega.

The eight irregulars

Eight very common verbs have a short command form. Learn them as a group:

• Ven aquí un momento.Come here a moment.
• Pon la mesa, por favor.Set the table, please.
• Haz los deberes ahora.Do your homework now.
• Sé paciente con tu hermano.Be patient with your brother.
• Ten cuidado con el perro.Be careful with the dog.
• Sal de la cocina.Get out of the kitchen.
• Ve a la farmacia.Go to the pharmacy.

Sé (be) has an accent; se without one is a pronoun. Ve is the command of both ir (go) and ver (see); context tells you which.

Pronouns go on the end

With an affirmative command, object and reflexive pronouns are attached to the end of the verb. When needed, add a written accent to keep the stress in the same place (see Where pronouns go: before the verb, or attached):

• Dime la verdad.Tell me the truth.
• Siéntate aquí.Sit here.

Siéntate, levántate, cómelo, escríbeme. Two pronouns together are in Commands with pronouns: dímelo, no me lo digas.

Being polite

A bare command is normal between friends and in the family, especially with por favor. To sound softer, ask a question: ¿Me pasas la sal? (Will you pass me the salt?).

What comes later

• Negative commands use a different form: no hables, not no habla. See Negative commands (no hables) and vosotros commands, which also covers vosotros commands (hablad, comed).
• Usted / ustedes commands (hable, coman) are in Commands with usted and ustedes. In Latin America, ustedes commands are used for any group.
• In Argentina and other voseo regions, the command has its own form (hablá, vení): see Regional variation: voseo, ustedes, seseo and ceceo, vocabulary.

Common mistakes

• Hace los deberes: hace means "he does". The command is haz. Likewise tiene cuidado → ten cuidado, pone → pon.
• Cerra la puerta, dorme: keep the stem change: cierra, duerme.
• ¡Hablar más despacio!: the infinitive appears on signs and in written instructions, but you don't use it to tell a person what to do. Say habla.
• No habla for "don't speak": negative commands use another form (no hables).
• Sientate: when a pronoun is attached, add the accent: siéntate.